Iranian Black-tailed Scorpion

Iranian Black-tailed Scorpion, a scorpion with a near-perfect transition of colors. Scorpions are mostly black and yellow, but very few can achieve such a harmonious and beautiful combination. Many people first came into contact with the genus Androctonus.

Chinese name: 伊朗黑尾鳄背蝎

Latin name: Hottentottajayakari

Also known as: 伊朗黑鳄

Binomial name: Hottentottajayakari

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Subphylum: Chelicerata

Class: Arachnida

Order: Scorpiones

Family: Buthidae

Genus: Hottentotta

Species: Iranian Black-tailed Scorpion

Distribution: Iran, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Saudi Arabia

Iranian Black-tailed Scorpion, one of the species that has had the most profound impact on me. It was the first species of desert and semi-desert scorpions that I encountered after playing with rainforest and emperor species. I had never shown any interest in desert scorpions before. One day, I came across a photo of an HJ scorpion, especially the freshly molted flesh with its contrasting colors. Its back had the familiar crocodile texture, with brown-black pincers, yellowish feet, and a tail that gradually changed color. At first sight, I fell deeply in love with her. So, I spent a lot of money to buy a 5L subadult HJ scorpion. At that time, I thought it was ridiculous to spend over a hundred yuan on a scorpion. But now, I would give it more consideration. Here are the records and photos from that time, coincidentally, it is a female scorpion.

Loved by pet lovers, it is recommended to raise this species. It belongs to the genus Androctonus, and all scorpions in this genus are semi-desert species. The substrate should be a mixture of sand and soil, and pure dry coco soil can be used during the juvenile stage. They are not picky eaters and have a ferocious predation behavior. They almost never refuse any food and often perform exaggerated movements, flipping their bodies after stinging their prey.

Black abdominal disease: The main symptoms are the blackening of the scorpion's abdomen, abnormal feces, inactivity, and loss of appetite. This disease generally occurs in winter or early spring, mainly due to low external temperatures and high humidity, which leads to excessive moisture in the scorpion's body. Keeping the temperature of the scorpion nest reasonable and reducing humidity can prevent the occurrence of this disease.

  Body decay disease: The main symptoms are the swelling and blackening of the scorpion's abdomen, loss of appetite, and inactivity, followed by rotting of the whole body and a large number of deaths. This disease is mainly caused by spoiled feed or unclean drinking water. It can be treated with antibacterial drugs such as loperamide and a small amount of yeast tablets. Pay special attention to maintaining environmental and dietary hygiene to prevent the occurrence of this disease.

  Scorpion lice disease: The main symptoms are extreme restlessness of the scorpion, with yellow granular mites lurking in the chest and abdomen, gradually tormenting the scorpion to death. This disease is mainly caused by excessive humidity in dry scorpion nests. To prevent this disease, spray the scorpion nest with a 1% bleach solution and a 3.5% potassium permanganate solution for disinfection. It can also be disinfected with a 4.5% formalin solution.

  Dryness disease: The main symptoms are yellowing of the scorpion's tail, flattening of the front abdomen, and dullness of the whole body. This disease is mainly caused by long-term lack of water in the scorpion. As long as attention is paid to water supply and the humidity of the scorpion nest is kept moderate, this disease can be prevented.

1. Maintain the temperature: When the temperature is below 15°C, the scorpion is in a dormant state and stops or slows down its growth. When the temperature is higher than 40°C, the scorpion desperately seeks moisture, even to the point of death. Therefore, the temperature should be maintained at 25°C to 30°C, which is the optimal temperature for the growth and development of scorpions.

2. Control humidity: Scorpions prefer dry environments and are afraid of moisture. The ideal relative humidity in the air is 45% to 50%. The moisture content of the sand should be between 15% and 20%, so that the sand is neither too dry nor too wet, and people do not feel stuffy in the scorpion habitat. It is especially important not to make the sand too wet, otherwise, the scorpion may contract the parasitic disease called acaridiosis and die.

3. Provide adequate drinking water: The success of scorpion breeding depends on the availability of drinking water. If there is a lack of water supply, the scorpions will become dehydrated and dry, which can lead to mutual killing and death. Therefore, it is recommended to use a sponge to absorb clean water or cold water and put it into the scorpion enclosure every day. Every 3 to 5 days, an antibiotic such as tetracycline or sulfonamide can be added to the scorpion's drinking water. Dissolve one tablet of the antibiotic in about 4 kilograms of cold boiled water, soak it into the sponge, and place it in the scorpion enclosure.

Iranian Black-tailed Scorpion